Widows Fund Fushe Kosova

I went visiting Selvije’s family on a warm October morning. As she was preparing her grandchildren for school, she happily accepted my invitation to talk more about her family’s situation.
Selvije lives with her seven sons and four daughters. The oldest of them got married and now has children of their own. The youngest child of Selvije is 15 years old.

I ask about Selvije’s husband. In a deep sad voice, she tells me that her husband died in a traffic accident two years ago. She had taken care of him for many years before his death as he had diabetes and wasn’t able to work and to provide for his family. During that time, the only income in the family was the monthly financial assistance provided by the municipality for the families in need. That amount did not cover all the costs the family had. Selvije’s children were the ones to suffer the most as they couldn’t’ go to school, nor dream of continuing their higher education. This is the reason most of them now have to work in absence of their father. They usually make money in recycling scrap metal or plastic.

The only help Selvije and her children got through the years was the medical supplies and school materials donated by The Ideas Partnership. It was your donations that made possible for us to help her family. Thank you for all you do for the wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable families in Kosovo!

 In the community of Fushe Kosove, there is a distinct difference between this place and the city of Prishtina just twenty minutes away. Riding further into the community, an overwhelming sense of poverty surrounds you. Trash and abandoned furniture lay by the side of the roads. The tires of passing cars sweep up dirt and dust which fill the streets. With the beginning of Summer break, young children have no other activities than to play in the street. Many people here lack the basic daily necessities of food and hygiene products. It is clear this is a community whose people need support.

 Elmije, a widower of 13 years, is one of these people. When her oldest son was just eight years old, her husband passed away. This left her tasked with raising five young children on her own. Elijme has done her best but still struggles even today. In the struggling economy of Fushe Kosove, it has been difficult for she and her children to find work.

 Elmije is next in line to receive proceeds from the Global Giving Widows Fund and desperately needs it to pay for medical expenses. She has been diagnosed with cancer of the stomach. She must have an operation to remove some of the cancer but does not have the money to do so. In a private hospital, the operation costs 2,000 euro, but because she can not afford this, she must go to a public hospital and be placed on a two-year wait list. Since her diagnosis, the cancer has spread moving into the upper left side of her torso. Everyday she experiences pain all throughout her body causing her to lose sleep.

 In the past, Elmije has benefited from The Ideas Partnership through gardening which allowed her to learn how to grow her own food. Currently, however, with her worsening medical condition, she is unemployed. With your generous donations, Elmije hopes she can save up enough money for her operation. She says she is very appreciative of any help she receives and hopes she is able to have her operation soon.